


And the stew smells good too.

by DrJulesWrites



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Fluff with a dash of spice, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 19:51:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17453207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrJulesWrites/pseuds/DrJulesWrites
Summary: Julian comes home to find Serena dancing while cooking one of his favorite meals. He can't resist the temptation of adding a little spice.





	And the stew smells good too.

The kitchen of their tiny apartment fills with the aroma of freshly cut herbs - marjoram, thyme, bay leaf… And the distinctive smell of rosemary taking the lead. “It’s not a proper stew without rosemary!” She remembers the way Mazelinka explained the recipe in detail, while she scribbled furiously in her notebook, her lettering almost as bad as Julian’s, not wanting to miss any detail from the “secret recipe” that is certainly _not_ infused with magic.

Serena smiles to herself at the thought. The first time she ever tasted the dish and saw the blissful look on Julian’s face when he dug into his bowl, she made a vow to herself, that she _will_ get the “I’ll take it to my grave” recipe. And everyone knows, that when she sets her mind to something…

It’s a warm, summer evening and through the open window, she can hear the commotion down the street. The rustling of wooden boxes, the voices of people gathering on the square, growing louder by the minute, and the excited squealing of children.

As the first tones hit her ears, her hips start swaying to the rhythm of an upbeat, but not _too_ fast song. It’s her little ritual by now. Every Friday evening, she cooks to the sound of the musicians playing on the square, gracefully moving through the kitchen, tapping her spoon on various surfaces, accenting when the band hits a strong note. Everything comes together like a choreographed dance.

Serena doesn’t even notice, too deeply focused on her task, that Julian came home. Late, as always. Tired, as always, after making one too many house calls. But she knows him better than anyone and she knows he won’t ever say no to people who need his help, so she never complains. Just makes sure he gets to bed early, even if she has to pin him to the mattress herself. So what, if that doesn’t make him fall asleep any earlier than usual?

Lead by the wonderful smell, his feet drag him towards the kitchen. Leaning quietly against the doorframe, Julian watches in awe as she moves like water - her motions fluid when she puts the pastries into the oven only to turn around and taste the main course like it’s not a sequence of movements, but one. She finally settles behind the counter, chopping the remaining carrots, and he feels pulled like a magnet, compelled to close the distance, to taste the salt on her skin.

Serena is aware of him even before his long arms wrap around her waist, the scent of his sandalwood shampoo unmistakable. She pretends not to notice when his impossibly long fingers brush her long hair out of his way, but as soon as he kisses her neck, hot breath tickling the delicate skin behind her ear, she is forced to set the knife aside, her eyes closing involuntarily. She’s a strong woman, but Gods know, this man makes her _weak_.

“Smells divine…” he purrs lowly, his fingers sliding down her sides.

“Your favorite…” Her voice is raspy, only partly because she hasn’t spoken to anyone for a few hours.

“Oh yes, definitely my favorite… And the stew smells good too.”

She couldn’t possibly see it, but Serena swears she can _feel_ that side grin showing up on his face, clearly pleased with himself by this witty response. His fingers find the hem of her shirt, and as soon as she feels his fingernails scraping her tight stomach, she knows she has to regain her control before it’s too late.

She turns around, fully prepared to scold him for distracting her, but before she could say or do anything, he hoists her up the kitchen counter with that daring smile on his face. “Ilya…” A warning, but only half-hearted. No one ever saw an eye-roll so distinctive as the one she makes, but as much as she tries to hide it, there’s no denying the way her lips curl at the corners. “The stew is going to burn…

“It would be a shame… So maybe just a taste?”

His mismatched eyes grow wide as without any hesitation she yanks him close by the collar, bracketing his narrow hips with her thighs, their lips meeting in a heated, almost _punishing_ kiss. She only has a minute, and Serena will make damn sure that they will make it count.

Fingers raking his auburn curls, she _devours_ him, and he growls into her mouth, the sound that she swallows with another hungry kiss. The dance of their tongues is intoxicating, and she has to remind herself that they need to breathe, reluctant to part even for a second.

The way she outlines the shape of his upper lip with the tip of her tongue is electric, his skin burning with a fire that only _she_ can light, that distinctive movement bringing up a still fresh memory of what she did to him the night before.

The memory of the way his toes curled, his fingers grabbing the headboard of their bed in a white-knuckled grip as she brought him to the edge… Over and over again… but not letting him take that final leap…

Until he _begged_ for it.

Finally, she pulls away, leaving them both panting, struggling to catch their breaths. With a pat on the shoulder, she narrows her gaze, giving him the stare that won’t take no for an answer. “Ilya, darling… Be a good boy and set the table.”

There’s a heavy sigh escaping his throat, a sound both wistful and content at the same time. Julian obliges, settling her back on her feet and she quickly moves to stir the heavenly meal stewing in the pot. He looks at her one more time before he walks out of the kitchen, and she sends him a pointed look over her shoulder, a saucy grin painting her face.

“And _maybe_ … we will find some time to finish this before the dessert?”

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a nonny who sent me this ask on my Tumblr:
> 
> "Actually, I’d like to see something you’ve written for/about your apprentice Serena, if that wouldn’t be too much trouble!" 
> 
> Hope you liked it!


End file.
